dfepeman once bubbled...
I got back from Cozumel last week, and my wife and I tried to eat our way through Cozumel based on input from this site and the restaurant reviews at travelnotes: We dined at La Chosa, Capi Navigante, Pancho's Backyard, la Mission, el Moro, Prima's, and Manate.
First, let me say that I generally felt many reviews have been too glowing. Some of these places were fine, but descriptions such as "awesome" and "the best ever!" have been applied too frequently, in my opinion. Here's my take:
La Chosa: Very fine fajitas, but pretty limited menu beyond that. No salsa: they use an unusual tangy orange-colored dip of some kind that is pretty good. The orange margaritas weren't my favorite, but my wife got pretty loopy on them. I liked the location: far enough off the square, with some nice funky surroundings. It was right across Deep Blue divers (which I used- more on them on another thread), so that was convenient for me.
La Mission: The menu was a bit more extensive, but I wasn't too impressed with my Mexican combo: dried out beans, essentially empty cheese enchilada, etc.
Capi Navigante: I absolutely love seafood so I was really looking forward to eating here, since reviewers claimed it had the best seafood. I had the Mayan-style grouper, and was sorely disappointed: it was over-cooked (and the portion was quite small- who claimed that the portions were generous here? Tom Thumb??!). My wife had a seafood combo, and it was bland pieces of fish, conch, and octopus. Seemed a bit fresher than my meal, but the things just lay there on the plate unadorned with any sauce, seasoning, or evidence that they weren't just boiled and plopped on the plate. Now one thing I will agree the other reviewers: the bananas flambe presentation was great; it almost made up for the uninspired main course.
Pancho's Backyard: Here I concurr with other reviewers- Panchos has a nice porch setting, the service was excellent, and the food, while not truly exceptional, was fine. I ordered a Mexican combo, and when it first came out I was a bit disappointed because the portions were modest and the presentation was a bit spartan (no typical trashcan lid-sized piping hot plate smothered in cheese, beans and sauce like standard fare in American Mexican restaurants), but the taste was excellent. The rellenos were stuffed with nuts and plantains, which was interesting. I can't recall what else I or my wife had, but it was a pleasant meal.
Primas: I disqualify myself on this one, since my wife and I were suffering from some sort of stomach bug and when our meals came out (very late, as were the appetizers: the waiter kept coming by to ask how we liked each item, and we had to inform him that it hadn't arrived each time!), we picked at them and quit prematurely. The portions were good (my wife ordering the seafood paster called the "steamer", and I had stuffed shrimps), but not compelling. People who claim this is one of best best italian restaurants anywhere have me puzzled.
el moro's: Very good, as advertised! My wife had the shrimp on a wire. The name doesn't prepare you for the mammoth kebab you are served- people came over just to ask what we'd ordered after seeing that grand thing! I had one of the unusual chicken entrees (I forget the name- it was first on the list), consisting of a breaded and fried chicken breast on top of mashed potatoes topped with some sort of tomato sause and peas, surrounded by fried plantains. Sounds like the Mayan version of a shepard's pie, and it was excellent!
Manate's: Our favorite meal. The place is essentially a shack with rough wood sides and a corrugated roof, but there are ceiling tapestries and nicely painted walls which lend a romantic atmosphere to the place. They were playing peaceful new age music which complemented the ambience nicely. This is not a chain restaurant, folks, so if you prefer places like Applebee's, then don't come here. Regarding the food, I've read reviews that talk about how the menu changes, but I got the impression that may have been the case a few years back but not now. I had a disappointing grouper in ginger sauce (all my attempts with fish were disappointing- I theorize that people overcook the fish down there to sanitize things, which is just what you can't do and expect tender fish filets), but my wife had chicken and mango: chunks of chicken wrapped and deep-fried in a won ton-like wrapper, and glazed with a mango chutney with raisins. Other people have raved about this dish, and I agree.
In summary, there are some nice restaurants, but many are not as special as reviewers led me to believe.
That being said, the diving was awesome!
